Welcome to Amplified Apartments: Home Edition, a special edition of ForRent’s Amplified Apartments series, featuring amateur interior designers whose winning decor hacks will save you space whether you’re on the first or fifteenth floor.

In the heart of Phoenix, Arizona, lives Adrianne and Jeremy Lentine, whose gorgeous 200 square foot nursery is the focal point of our first Amplified Apartments: Home Edition. The couple’s blog, Dream Book Design, has been chronicling their passion for renovation over the last four years. And a quick glance at the state of their nursery on their move in date speaks to how quickly that passion has become a serious skill.

With shoddy carpeting, a wood panel closet, and limited source of natural light, the Lentines had their work cut out for them. Luckily their strict no teenybopper design policy led them to choose an aesthetic that transformed the nursery space into an elegant room that their son could grow into.

The pitch perfect theme they settled on: nautical. With blue and white as base colors, the young couple got renovating—trim went up, wooden built-in closets turned to white, carpeted floors turned hardwood. Brass accents and just the right nautical touches tied the room together into a cohesive and stunning 200 square feet. Read on for the guidelines the Lentines worked around to create the nursery and the wallet-friendly ways they achieved ultimate design goal.

What were your must-haves when designing your space? Did you have to make any compromises?

We wanted to have a lot of the trim we love in the space: crown, board, batten, etc. We also wanted to keep the colors more sophisticated, instead of the typical baby pastels.

What was the process like getting the nursery to this state? How long did it take to get it there?

We had to prime and paint all of the built-ins. It took about two weekends to get all the trim up and everything else painted. Luckily, we had all the accessories for the room from our previous home, so that part was easy.

If you could describe the nursery’s design concept using 3 words what would they be?

Vintage nautical traveler.

It’s a very refined design for a children’s room. What made you stray from typical nursery design concepts?

Nothing in that realm is our style. Especially now that they make incredible looking items that serve some purpose, there’s really no need for things to be cheesy.

Where did the idea for the nautical theme originate from?

We loved the color scheme for that look. We also thought economically— finding fun brass pieces that we could easily use in our house once we were sick of them being in the nursery.

With just a few pieces, you’ve managed to create a complete concept. What was the thought process behind those choices? Were you looking to avoid clutter?

We wanted the room to be sophisticated and warm, but it also had to be functional. Babies require a lot of stuff, so we wanted to keep the knick-knacks to a minimum. That way, the space stays clean.

How do you envision the space evolving as your son gets older? Was that a part of your decision making process?

We will eventually use the great iron crib for future children, but other than that the room doesn’t have to change much. A big boy bed will be added, and the changing table space will most likely hold his future toys.

The room looks professionally done. Do you have a background in interior design? If not, how have you been able to develop your interior design skills?

We are by no means professionals, but we have redone one whole house, and are now working on number two! So through trial and error we have learned a lot along the way.

Hi! I'm Jason, and I'm the Social Media Coordinator for ForRent.com. I am a part of an awesome social media team that keeps this blog running in addition to the other social media outlets for ForRent.com! When I'm not posting for ForRent.com, I like to play music with friends, cook, and travel as much as possible.

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